


Follow My Lead

by IChallengeMyFate (Ealdremen)



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 06:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3346388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ealdremen/pseuds/IChallengeMyFate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inigo convinces Robin to attend a formal ball with him despite her not knowing anything about how to dance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Follow My Lead

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on ichallengemyfate.tumblr.com.

The moment Robin felt Inigo’s hand tighten around hers, she knew that he was thinking the exact same thing. They didn’t belong here.

They stood in the arched doorway of the ballroom, paralyzed. The room was almost _too_ lovely, illuminated by the evening sun streaming in from the windows. Pillars surrounded the perimeter of the room and held up balconies where Robin could see a few of the castle servants talking and watching the dancing nobles below. Up on the stage, a small but talented orchestra played rhythmic music that the nobles danced perfectly in time to, as if they knew the song by heart.

“This was an awful idea,” Robin muttered.

With her free hand, she self-consciously fidgeted with the lace of her scarlet dress. Being around so many well-to-do people made her feel more on the spot than she ever had in recent memory. It wasn’t quite like being around Maribelle or even Chrom or Lissa. They had met during a time of war, where social status meant little if you could hold a sword or use magic, and, besides that, they had become fire-forged friends. With peace restored to Ylisse, Robin felt acutely aware of just what a nobody these nobles surely considered her to be.

Shaking off his stupor, Inigo chuckled. “This was a _grand_ idea. I’ve never attended a ball before.”

Robin stared at him in disbelief. “You said you knew _everything_ about formal dancing.”

“I do.” Inigo grinned and swept a lock of blue hair out of his face, even giving it a little twirl with his finger before releasing it. “I just have never had a chance to… put my knowledge to work, so to speak. I mentioned this to Mo – ah, Olivia, and she told me about this ball. Said it would be a shame if my wife and I never had a chance to dance together.”

“Inigo, we’re going to make _fools_ of ourselves. Do you see the people here?”

Already she could imagine the judgmental stares from the nobles present. It wasn’t as though she and Inigo would get a free pass just because Inigo was technically a prince. They had to keep a low profile, considering how Inigo hadn’t even been born in this timeline yet. Too much attention and someone was _bound_ to notice how there was a blue-haired man with the exalt’s brand in his eye. The very thought of having to explain it away and potentially causing even more trouble for Chrom and his family made Robin grimace.

Inigo must have misunderstood her cringing, for he tilted his head and pouted a little at her.

“Oh, come now. All you have to do is follow my lead.”

He took her by the arm and tried to lead her to the dance floor, but Robin planted her feet in the ground and held firm.

“And when has _that_ ever worked out for us?”

“I’m sure it can’t be that hard to dance with another person,” Inigo said with a shrug.

It was almost funny how he didn’t even try to counter her point. But as his words sunk in, Robin raised a brow in confusion.

“Are you telling me you’ve never..?”

“Well…” Inigo nervously laughed and looked away, scratching at the back of his head. “All of the girls I knew would turn me down instantly if I asked them to dance… I mean, can you imagine Severa or Kjelle dancing? Or Cynthia? Gods, she’d probably trip over her own feet!”

She placed a palm to her forehead. “Inigo…”

“And I _certainly_ wasn’t going to try and attend dances such as this when we were in the middle of a war, especially after we got engaged… Imagine the scandal if I were caught dancing with a woman other than you… Even if I’m not the prince of _this_ world, I have a reputation to uphold, you know…”

He was avoiding her gaze, looking anywhere but her. Robin could hardly believe what she was hearing, and words were failing her.

When she didn’t respond, Inigo idly remarked, “I wonder if Brady is playing in that orchestra.”

Inigo twiddled with his earring and tapped his foot in time to the music. She could hear him trying to hum along, but it was abundantly clear he didn’t know the song and was just trying to guess what the next notes would be.

“So, contrary to my expectations, you’re as clueless as I am about this,” said Robin.

Inigo arched his brows at her blunt statement. He looked ready to argue, even lifting his hands emphatically as he prepared to make his point, but he closed his mouth. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the sights again until his flighty gaze settled back on Robin. She could see the faintest hints of a blush creeping up to his cheeks.

“Yes.”

Robin groaned. Undeterred, Inigo grabbed her hands, a twinkle in his eyes.

“It’ll be fun! It’s better than us trying to cook liver-and-eel pie, at least.”

There was a flash of disgust on his face as he recalled the memory, but he shook it off and beamed at her. His smile was so earnest that she found the corners of her lips lifting. Despite herself, Robin nodded, and Inigo lightly kissed her hand.

“Oh, _gods,_ ” Robin said with a slight laugh in her voice, “you’ll be the end of me.”

“Well, if you die, I’m sure I could find another lovely lady to dance with me.” Robin gave him a rough shove, and he laughed, holding up his hands defensively. “It was a jest!”

She grabbed his arm and pulled it back down, tugging him along to where the nobles were dancing, their shoes clicking along the polished floor. Inigo barely protested. When Robin glanced back at him, he met her gaze and seemed ready to burst with happiness. It didn’t take them long to locate a spot where they could assimilate into the crowd of nobles in their dance. As Inigo directed her hands to his shoulder and his left hand, Robin gulped, glancing around anxiously. She felt his arm curl around her waist.

“Are you sure about this?” Robin whispered.

“About what? How beautiful you are tonight?” he crooned. “Because, my, you are the most dazzling woman here.”

It was so typical of him to say something like that, but Robin’s face flushed all the same. “I meant doing… this.”

She inclined her head in the direction of the nobles. Inigo leaned closer to her ear.

“Just let me guide you. It’ll be alright.” Robin nodded, and Inigo started to sway back and forth.

Her legs trembled as he led her around their little area of the dance floor. More than once, Robin nearly stepped on Inigo’s feet, a favor he returned just as often when he miscalculated where her feet would be and only just barely managed to move away in time. He spun her around with unnecessary flourish, and she staggered against him once the twirl ended, unsteady on her feet. Inigo hadn’t been prepared for that; he stumbled back and into a pair of nobles. As he flailed about to keep his balance, he nearly knocked his hand into the face of the woman.

“Ah! I’m so, _so_ sorry!” Inigo stammered. “It… It won’t happen again.”

Inigo kept his head bowed in humility, but Robin could tell it was also to keep them from seeing the brand in his eye. The nobles shot him a venomous glare, but thankfully said nothing more and returned to their dance, pointedly moving away from the clumsy duo. Inigo turned back to Robin and resumed the dance, but his movements were less bombastic and much more subdued than before. In fact, they almost felt _sullen._ It hardly felt like dancing with Inigo at all. His face was bright red, and he looked utterly downcast.

“Perhaps this _was_ a bad idea,” Inigo muttered.

The song ended, and the nobles applauded the orchestra. Belatedly, Robin let go of Inigo and joined in the applause. As the clapping died down, she noticed that Inigo hadn’t budged at all and was staring at the ground. Frowning, she lifted his chin to make him look at her. Robin grinned when he met her gaze.

“Surely you’re not going to call it quits here? Just as I was getting the hang of this?” Coyly, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger, mimicking his habit of doing the same. “I might just have to find some other handsome man to dance with me…”

Inigo’s eyes widened, and he let out a bark of laughter. In a single movement, he had his arm around Robin’s waist again. He dipped her down, keeping her almost parallel to the floor and lowering his head until all she could see was his face. Inigo planted a quick kiss on her lips; when he pulled back, Robin could see he was almost as red as she was, yet he still managed to give her a confident smile.

“I think not, my lady.”


End file.
